|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
73.222.105.47
In Reply to: RE: Prokofiev Symphonies 3/4/6/7: Gaffigan or Litton? posted by jdaniel@jps.net on September 18, 2016 at 11:23:04
They're both really excellent, although, as you can see, I don't have exactly the same symphonies to compare. (They're each using different versions of the Fourth.) I have the Gaffigan on SACD and the Litton as a 24/96 download from eClassical (for some ungodly low price - eClassical is just wonderful with the pricing of many of the BIS new releases!). I would find it extremely difficult to choose between them and, at some point, I do plan to complete both sets - they're both first class in every way. (My February post about the Gaffigan album is at the link at the bottom of this post.)
BTW, I just wanted to comment on the Maazel album of R&J and the Weller album of the symphonies. (I no longer have the Maazel set, but I still have the Weller set.) Yes, these are both magnificent recordings, but there have also been some wonderful sets (including the two above) of Prokofiev's music released since the 70's. I'm very sorry that the Gergiev/LSO set on Warner wasn't issued in some kind of hi-rez format, but, even on CD, those come across as strong performances too. I haven't heard any of Kitajenko set, and, of course, I wouldn't touch the Alsop set on Naxos with a ten-foot pole! ;-)
Follow Ups:
Are any of these performances as good as the old Malko 7th?
The simple microphoning of the early EMI stereo sound is wonderful, and, as you suggest, the performance is very engaging and well played. However, I'd say that a number of subsequent performances are just as interesting and worthy. BTW, I don't agree at all with the slew of Prokofiev writers and biographers from the West who denigrate the Seventh Symphony for the composer's alleged submission to Stalin and Zhadanov by writing "less formalistic" music (whatever that might mean!). Sure, that magnificent secondary theme in the first movement might evoke vistas of Russia's vast landscape with Stalin's hydroelectric power plants dotting the rivers, but I still find it AS MUSIC very inspired. I believe ballerina Galina Ulanova once said that the Seventh was her favorite among the Prokofiev symphonies.
.
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: